I remember September 11th like it was yesterday. The first thing I remember is that my kids were in school about three and half miles from the smoking wreckage of the Pentagon. The next thing I remember is that my husband’s office was between the White House and the Capital – where the fourth plane was headed -- and that he couldn’t get to the kids because everyone was running, driving and walking out of the city for their lives. The next image that swims into view was me -- stuck in Los Angeles for a week away from my family and friends in NY and DC who were suffering so terribly. For the first and last time in years, I was glued to CNN to watch the tragedy unfold. Even LA shut down for three days, the American People were so shocked – and afraid.

But then what I remember was love. The great outpouring of support for the victims and their families -- the calls for tolerance and not to continue the cycle of hate. My neighbors and country responded to those calls – for a while.